Machine for lasting shoes

ABSTRACT

The present invention refers to a machine acting as a mechanical shoehorn to put lasts in shoes such as prefabricated moccasins, shoes with stitched insoles and other types which must be placed on a last, the shoehorn being foot operated.

United States. Patent McCann [4 1 June 13, 1972 [54] MACHINE FOR LASTING SHOES 1,537,683 5/1925 Cha elle ..12/ 15 2,703, 96 319 5 ..1215 [72] Inventor: Thomas A. McCann, Via di Scorcola 15, 8 l 5 Doro? 34100 Tneste Italy Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson [22] Filed: Nov. 5, 1969 Attorney-Kenway, Jenney & Hildreth [21] App]. No.: 874,120 ABSTRACT The present invention refers to a machine acting as a mechanica] shoehom to p Isis in shoes such as prefabricated moc f h l 2 I 223 l I l, 1 18 casins, shoes with stitched insoles and other types which must Field sure 5 I v be placed on a last. the shoehorn being foot operated. I 561 Rderences Cited 6 Chins 9 Dnw'n sum UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,196 3/1893 Thompson ..12/

38 29 J 37 33 3 l7 l4 [7 m 4 /47 PATENTEDJUH13 I972 3, 668 727 sum 2 or 6 INVENTOR THOMAS A. McCANN ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJUN 13 I972 SHEET 3 OF 6 INVENTOR THOMAS A. McCANN BY Kow-y, T-v qjr Ala-(Adi ATTORNEYS PATENTEUJUH 13 I972 SHEEI 0F 6 INVENTOR THOMAS A. MCCANN ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJUN 13 I972 SHEET 5 BF 6 INVENTOR THOMAS A. McCANN BY M JM 9 l-klawi ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJUH 1 a 1912 3,668,727 SHEET 5 or 6 INVENTOR THOMAS A. MCCANN ATTORNEYS MACHINE FOR LASTING SHOES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Until now in the manufacture of shoes the operation of inserting the last has been performed manually with great difficulty to the operator'and loss of time and has involved the use of tools which frequently broke the edge of the vamp and of the stitching done by hand or by machine. It is the basic purpose of the present invention to avoid these difficulties by providing a machine for lasting shoes mechanically in such a way as to facilitate the work of the operator, increase production, and decrease the amount of labor with substantial economic advantages.

For this purpose I provide a machine characterized by the fact that it comprises a shoe last supported in a movable manner,v a shoehorn supported above said last when it is located in its rest position, substantially corresponding to the reapportion of said last; said shoehom being free to slide in a first direction coaxial with the symmetry axis of said last and being free to slide in a second direction along an axis substantially perpendicular to said axis of symmetry of the last, means being provided to control the sliding motion of said shoehom so that when a shoe is inserted between the point of the last and the shoehorn, then if the shoehom is caused to move in the primary direction along the last but away from the toe portion of the latter until it is in the same plane as the rear extremity of the last (that is, with the back of the heel portion), then if the shoehom is caused to move in the second direction until it is in a plane below the last carrying the heel of the shoe with it, one obtains complete insertion of the shoe onto the last.

These and other characteristics, purposes and advantages of the invention will be evident fromthe following description, given in terms of a descriptive example, and with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of one embodiment made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view in which the shoe last has been omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view; 1

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail, partially in section, of the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a detail in perspective view of the support for the shoe last;

FIG. 6 is a detail of a portion of the slide which supports the shoehom of the machine;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are details showing different operating positions of the machine.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Dimensions of certain of the parts as shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purpose of clarity of illustration.

In the attached drawings, the exemplary machine for lasting shoes, made according to the invention, is generically indicated by numeral 10 and consists of a support structure 11 such as a tripod, above which is mounted a bed member 12 on which are provided (as by machining) two guides 13 (FIGS. 5

and 6).

Numeral 14 indicates generally a first slide member which is free to travel along these guides 13 (FIG. 6).

The slide member 14 consists of two parts 15 and 16, one above and one below respectively, connected by means of screws 17. The lower part 16 has its opposite longitudinal side 18 shaped in such a way as to mate with the guides 13, while the upper part 15 is shaped so as to rest like a cover on the top surfaces of the guides 13, as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 6. The upper part 15 includes a portion 19 which extends beyond the lower part 16 and into this portion 19 there is machined an opening 20 (FIGS. 2 and 5) the purpose of which will be clear from the following description.

At one end of part 15 and perpendicular to it, there is attached a vertical support element 21 (FIGS. 1, 3, 7, 8 and 9), as by a suitable bracket as shown.

The support element 21 possesses two suitable vertical guides 22 between which is slidably fitted bar 23. To the upper extremity of bar 23, and perpendicular-to it, there is attached an arm 24 which carries at one extremity a shoehom 25 and at the opposite extremity a handle 26 for controlling the sliding motion of this arm.

Numeral 27 indicates a return spring attached at one extremity 28 to the bar 23, and at the opposite extremity 29 to the support element 21.

Numeral 30 indicates generally a second slide member (FIG. 5) adjustably attached to guides 13 in such a manner that it can be registered in a predetermined position on guides 13 within the aperture 20 machined on portion 19 of the upper piece 15 of the first slide 14. The length of slide member 30 is less than the length of aperture 19. Second slide member 30 consists of two pieces 31 and 32, one upper and one lower respectively, assembled by means of a spindle 33 attached to piece 32. The pieces 31 and 32 have their opposite longitudinal sides machined in such a way as to form two channels 34 which bear against and clamp the guide 13 therebetween in a manner clearly illustrated in the detail of FIG. 5. Said spindle 33 has a threaded upper end 35'protruding from the upper piece 31 onto which part there is threaded and tightened a clamp handle 36.

It is clear that when said handle 36 is screwed onto the spin dle 33. it will act on pieces 31 and 32 which constitute the slide 30, clamping them fin'nly against guide 13, thereby holding the slide 30 stationary.

In the opposite case, when the handle 36 is loosened on spindle 33, the pieces 31 and 32 will-be free to move along guide 13 in such a way that the position of slide 30 can be manually registered with respect to slide 14 depending upon the dimensions of the shoe being lasted.

These means make it possible for the first slide member 14 to move with respect to the second 30, which is necessary for the operation of the machine, as will become evident in the following, and permit registration of the first slide member 14 on the guides 13.

From said upper piece 31 there extends vertically a support element 37 which carries at its free extremitya post 38 on which there is mounted, in a freely movable manner, a shoe last 39. A set screw 38 locks post 38 in position on support 37.

The motionof slide 14 on guides 13 is controlled through a lever 40 (actuated by a pedal 41) hinged at 42 to the support structure 1 1 of the machine.

Numeral 43 indicates a cord attached at one extremity to an intermediate point of said lever 40, and at the opposite extremity to the rear tenninal part of slide 14, with interposition of a grooved pulley 44, freely pivoted on a support 45, over which pulley the cord 43 passes.

Numeral 46 indicates a return spring attached at one extremity 47 to the rear part of slide member 14, and at the opposite extremity 48 to a part 49 extending from the structure 11. The operation of the machine will be described below.

A shoe, as for example a moccasin, generically indicated by numeral 50, is inserted between the point of the last 39 and the shoehom 25 in a manner clearly illustrated in the detail of FIG. 7. Slide 14 is in its extreme right position as viewed in FIG. 7.

From the drawing it follows clearly that when the operator presses conveniently with one foot on the pedal 41 of the control lever 40, he causes a displacement in the direction of arrow F of the slide 14 with respect to the slide 30 which is attached to the guides 13. As a result the shoehom 25 pulls little by little the shoe 50 onto the last 39 (FIG. 8). Naturally the operator will act on pedal 41 not with a continuous pressure, but little by little and while simultaneously adjusting the shoe with one hand so as to insert it over the last in cooperation with the traction of the shoehom. The operator will continue to act on pedal 41 until the shoehom 25 has been moved to a position in a plane with the rear extremity (heel) of the last 39; at this point he will press on the handle 26 from top towards the bottom while simultaneously with one hand guiding downward the shoe to follow the shoehom, causing the member 23 to slide along guide 22 in the direction of arrow F and carrying with it the shoehom into the position of FIG. 9, thereby causing the complete insertion of the shoe onto the last which can then be removed from the machine by withdrawing it from the socket 38 and inserting another so as to begin a new cycle of operation.

The shoehom 25 and the slide 14 are returned into their initial position of FIG. 7 by the action of springs 27 and 46 respectively. Naturally control of said slide 14 and of the shoehom 25 may also be effected automatically by means of a pneumatic or hydraulic device without any conceptual change.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved, and other advantageous results attained.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A machine for lasting shoes comprising a base; last supporting means movably mounted on the base for supporting a shoe last thereon; first slide means movably mounted on the base, means for moving the last supporting means and the first slide means toward and away from each other in a direction parallel to the length of said last; second slide means movably mounted on the first slide means and movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the latter; a shoehom mounted on the second slide means and movable by the motions of the first and second slide means from a position over the last to a position lying substantially in a plane with the endof the heel of the last and subsequently to a position below the last.

2. The machine of claim 1 in which said last supporting means is adjustably adapted to be fixed to the base in a predetermined position, the first slide means being movable along the base in respect to said last when the last supporting means is in said predetermined position.

3. The machine of claim 2 in which said second slide means comprises guide means mounted at the end of the first slide and perpendicular thereto; an elongated slide member slidably held by said means and movable up and down in said direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the first slide means; and an elongated bar overlying the end of and fixed to said slide member, said shoehom being mounted at the end of said bar.

4. The machine of claim 2 including actuating means mounted on the' base and adapted to move said first slide means.

5. The machine of claim 4 in which said actuating means is a foot pedal operatively connected to the first slide means.

6. The machine of claim 5 including manually actuable means for actuating said second slide means.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 3,668 ,727 D t d June 13, 1972 Thomas A.. McCann Patent No.

Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 13, should read held by said guide means and movable up and down in said direction Signed and sealed this 27th day of February 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK EDWARD M.PLETCHER,JR. Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 u.s, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1969 0-366-334,

F ORM PO-IOSO (10-69) 

1. A machine for lasting shoes comprising a base; last supporting means movably mounted on the base for supporting a shoe last thereon; first slide means movably mounted on the base, means for moving the last supporting means and the first slide means toward and away from each other in a direction parallel to the length of said last; second slide means movably mounted on the first slide means and movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the latter; a shoehorn mounted on the second slide means and movable by the motions of the first and second slide means from a position over the last to a position lying substantially in a plane with the end of the heel of the last and subsequently to a position below the last.
 2. The machine of claim 1 in which said last supporting means is adjustably adapted to be fixed to the base in a predetermined position, the first slide means being movable along the base in respect to said last when the last supporting means is in said predetermined position.
 3. The machine of claim 2 in which said second slide means comprises guide means mounted at the end of the first slide and perpendicular thereto; an elongated slide member slidably held by said means and movable up and down in said direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the first slide means; and an elongated bar overlying the end of and fixed to said slide member, said shoehorn being mounted at the end of said bar.
 4. The machine of claim 2 including actuating means mounted on the base and adapted to move said first slide means.
 5. The machine of claim 4 in which said actuating means is a foot pedal operatively connected to the first slide means.
 6. The machine of claim 5 including manually actuable means for actuating said second slide means. 